STL Leaders Podcast

Mike Kitko is a speaker, a coach and a insperation. He had every material thing that he ever dreamed of, but he was suicidal. He wouldn't seek support because he was scared to let anyone know he didn't have it all figured out. He was a Marine veteran, a Fortune 500 executive, and he was supposed to be a powerful leader, right?

The truth was that he had a toxic relationship with alcohol, he was 300 pounds of undisciplined chaos, and he was an abusive husband and father. He was in so much pain inside and he didn't want anyone to know, so he punished those around me to try to feel powerful. Listen as we talk to Mike about changing his life and how he overcam adversity. 

Jim Adolphson is the CEO of Adonis here in St. Louis. Listen as we talk to Jim about overcoming some major challenges as a small business here in St. Louis, his views on leadership and how faith plays a part in this leadership of the business. Jim has a great story to share and I am excited to be able to share that with you today. 

Tom Swip is the CEO & Founder of Swip Systems, where they build custom software and help implement software for organizations. Tom is a true leader of our community in many ways. Listen as we talk to Tom about starting his business, overcoming the challenges in the beginning and even some still to this day, and his views on leadership & networking. 

Tara Kinney is the Founder and CEO of Atomic Revenue, a organization that launches growth in your lead generation, sales conversion and customer advocacy. Tara is well connected in the St. Louis area and we talk to her about the challenges that came starting a business and getting connected in St. Louis. We discuss her views on leadership and how she challenges her team to push themselves on their growth. 

This is a special 9/11 Anniversary Episode to remember the last 20 years. Listen as Bo Matthews and Bryan Buesking discuss the anniversary of 9/11 and what has transpired over the last 20 years. #neverforget

Marc Braun is the past President at Cambridge Air Solutions. Listen as we talk to Marc about his career, his leadership at Cambridge and the value of encouraging others. Dive into his philosophy on leadership, company culture and the importance of leadership. 

Ben Terrill is the Owner of FranNet. Ben and his team coach individuals when it comes to investing into a franchise and taking on business ownership. Bens organization represents over 300 of the best franchises across the nation. Listen as we talk to Ben about purchasing a franchise, the in's and the outs of ownership and his views on leadership. 

Bob Alvarez is the President and COO of Shapiro Metals. Bob had an interesting path to Shapiro Metals and in this episode we will discuss that path, the challenges he overcame and the lessons he has learned along the way. We talk to Bob about how Shapiro Metals has handled the COVID pandemic and how their vision for leadership and company culture has shaped them into the company that they are today. 

While serving as the Director of Mental Training for the St Louis Cardinals, Dr. Jason Selk helped the team win their first World Series in over 20 years, and in 2011 he assisted the Cardinals in the historic feat of winning their second World Championship in a six year period. Dr. Selk is a regular contributor to Forbes, INC, Success, Shape, and Self Magazine; ABC, CBS, ESPN, and NBC radio and television; and has been featured in USA Today, CNBC, and Men’s Health. Selk is the best-selling author of 10- Minute Toughness, Executive Toughness, Organize Tomorrow Today, Lead Any Team to Win, and most recently Relentless Solution Focus.

Jennifer Warmann Bloss is the founder, CEO & President of Elemental Esthetics, where her and her team help individuals with medical spa treatments. Jennifer started the company 11 years ago as a sole employee and has grown the organization immensely since then. Listen as we talk to her about the challenges of growth and the success she has had.